WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is sponsoring a video contest for professional and amateur filmmakers on Burn Wise, the agency’s campaign to help citizens reduce pollution from their fireplaces and other wood-burning appliances. With the theme “Learn Before You Burn,” the winning 30- or 60-second videos will promote responsible wood-burning techniques that can help citizens save money while making the air healthier to breathe.

Wood smoke is made up of a mixture of gases and fine particle pollution that isn’t healthy to breathe iidoors or out – especially for children, older adults and people with heart disease, asthma or other lung diseases.

Each video must cover three basic steps: what to burn (only dry seasoned wood), how to burn it (maintain a small, hot fire) and what to burn it in (an EPA-approved wood-burning appliance that you have maintained each year). For the safety of the filmmakers, no real flames may be used in the videos.

Anyone can enter (children under 18 must get parental permission). Winners will receive cash awards, and their videos will be provided to television stations as public service announcements. Prizes are as follows: first place, $2,500; second place, $1,000; third place, $500 and viewers’ choice, a $250 U.S. Savings Bond.

Here’s how the contest will work: Some information is available to help filmmakers get started right now on the contest Web site. Then, at noon EST Friday, April 9, EPA will reveal three mystery criteria that must be included in the videos on the contest Web site. Final videos must be uploaded to EPA’s YouTube channel within 48 hours -- by noon EST Sunday, April 11. Viewers will vote on their favorite video via YouTube.